THE GREEK SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1917, Page 7

THE GREEK SITUATION.

BOMBARDMENT OF* ATHENS ONLY ■PREVENTED BY INFLUENCE OF PETROGRAD.

Paris, January 17. In La Victoire, Gustavo Herve explains, from what may be taken to be the Government's point of vielff, the difficulties encountered in settling the Greek situation. Replying to criticism regarding the Government's reluctance to resort to extreme measures, M. Herve affirms 1 that even if France bad desired to declare war on Constantine and bombard Athens, she would have been prevented by her Allies. Ho continues;—

"Put yourselves in the place of the Russian Government, which', as everyone knows, is not republican. With what eye dp you suppose the Russian Government views the Venizelist movement? For the Russian Government Venizelos is a revolutionary, whereas Constantine represent monarcliial principles. You may be sure that from Petrograd all sorts of urging has reached our Government not to inflict indignation upon Constantine, but to stetch patience to its limits in' his favor. Whatever may be our sympathies as republicans for Venizelos, we could not on his account quarrel with Russia,

''Now, look at the question from the British Government's point of view. That Government, please remember, entered the war not because of an alliance, but to defend Belgium. It became a belligerent on behalf of a small nation which had been treated with outrageous ■brutality. How can one suppose that England would be willing to sacrifice the solid moral position she had assumed —so solid, especially in the ejes of neutrais and particularly of the United States by throwing herself upon Greece?

"There remains the Italian Government, which prefers Constantine to Venizelos), who, with his views of founding a greater .Greece, including the islands" of cities of Asia Minor, runs counter to Italy's Mediterranean ambitions. Since Rome realises that War against Constantine would mean the triumph of Venizelos, it opposes a rupture with the Greek King with every energy at its disposal. "It is easy to see that under these conditions Constantine had things his own way, and that our Premier had to use extreme dexterity to assure safety of our Salonika army, which is his main object, without arousing trouble. He is achieving his object.

"Is not this wiser than massacring women and children at Alliens? The Germans asked for nothing better than such a measure to be able to say to neutrals: 'You see, they are doing in Greece what they accuse us of doin« in Belgium.' Jf M. Brian,! had committed this folly, the Greeks, who are not eminent as regular troops, but who know how to wage guerilla warfare, would bave taken refuge in flic mountain.',, where the Germans would have sent them arms and we should have had to tell off 50,000 men to keep them in check.

Our affairs in Greece are being conducted very skilfully and a Salonika army is running no serious risk."